NEW YORK - The Capitals enter Sunday's game on a three-game winningstreak. This will be the first meeting between the Caps and Rangers since their Eastern Conference Semifinal series last year, which the Rangers won in seven games.
That marked the end of coach Dale Hunter's tenure and set the stage for the hiring of Adam Oates during the offseason. How does Alex Ovechkin think the change in coaching philosophies from Hunter's defense-first mentality to Oates' more-aggressive style will affect a meeting with the Rangers?
"I'm probably going to get more ice time," said Ovechkin, who played fewer than 15 minutes three times in that series.
The Rangers did not have a skate Sunday, so the status ofRick Nash remains in doubt. Coach John Tortorella will address the media at 4:45 p.m.
Here's what Oates will likely throw at the Rangers in terms of line combinations and d-pairs, with Braden Holtby getting the start in net.
Wojtek Wolski – Nicklas Backstrom – Troy Brouwer
Jason Chimera – Mike Ribeiro – Alex Ovechkin
Eric Fehr- Mathieu Perreault – Joel Ward
Matt Hendricks – Jay Beagle – Joey Crabb
Tomas Kundratek – Jeff Schultz
Scratches: Mike Green (lower-body), Roman Hamrlik, Marcus Johansson (upper-body).
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